Finland, 7 countries stand in full solidarity with Greenland

Eight European countries including Finland on Sunday expressed full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.

Responding to the tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump, the countries- Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom in a joint statement also said that the trade threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral, said a press release issued by the Finnish government.

“We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland. Building on the process begun last week, we stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind,” said the statement.

The eight countries, all of them NATO members also said that dialogue was the way to resolve differences.

“As members of NATO, we are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest. The pre-coordinated Danish exercise “Arctic Endurance“ conducted with Allies, responds to this necessity. It poses no threat to anyone,” the statement added.

News agency Xinhua adds: European Council President Antonio Costa said on X that the European Union (EU) is "ready to defend itself against any form of coercion" in response to Trump's tariff threats.

National reactions were swift and unequivocal, with European leaders and ministers branding the U.S. threat coercive and unacceptable. Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel explicitly called the tariffs an act of "blackmail," urging Washington to withdraw the "ridiculous proposal" before it takes effect. German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Berlin "must not allow itself to be intimidated," adding that "a line has been crossed."

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen posted on social media that "Europe will not be blackmailed." Underscoring the universal support for Denmark, she said this is now "an issue that reaches far beyond our own borders."

CALL FOR IMMEDIATE RETALIATION

Momentum to push back was gathered at the EU level. Valerie Hayer, president of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, urged EU leaders to activate the bloc's never-used "Anti-Coercion Instrument," dubbed an "economic nuclear weapon." The mechanism would allow immediate retaliation, including punitive tariffs, market bans, financial sanctions, and the suspension of U.S. patents and licences, without recourse to the United Nations or the World Trade Organization.

Noting that the United States exports more than 500 billion U.S. dollars of goods to the EU each year, making the bloc Washington's largest market, Hayer warned that Trump "should think twice," stressing that the EU is "not afraid to use deterrence for our defense."

On Sunday night, a report by Financial Times said that EU capitals are considering hitting Washington with 93 billion euros (107.68 billion U.S. dollars) worth of tariffs or reviving the "Anti-Coercion Instrument."

Describing the tariffs as "unacceptable," French President Emmanuel Macron's office also confirmed that the president would request the same course of action if Washington follows through on its threat.

After meeting his Norwegian counterpart, Espen Barth Eide, in Oslo, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he had "no doubt about the support from Europe," even in the face of a costly tariff war. "We must do everything we can to implement the principles," Rasmussen added. Meanwhile, Eide said, "We will not yield to pressure."

BROADER CHORUS OF REBUKE

Beyond the directly targeted states, other European countries joined the criticism of the U.S. move. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, speaking during a visit to South Korea, called the tariff threats "a mistake."

After separate calls on Sunday with Denmark Prime Minister Frederiksen, the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, as well as Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer repeated that it is wrong to apply tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies.

On Saturday, Starmer said Britain's position on Greenland is very clear: "it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes," branding the U.S. threat "completely wrong."

Ireland's Foreign Minister Helen McEntee emphasized the fundamental principles of the UN Charter. "There can be no lasting peace and security in a world where these principles are ignored and undermined," she said.

The Croatian government said allies should respect each other and acknowledge the fact that Greenland is part of Denmark. "In this context, we express our solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland," it said, adding that additional tariffs would upset the balance of EU-U.S. trade relations and weaken the trans-Atlantic partnership.

The unified European pushback sets the stage for a potential escalation. With calls to arm the EU's economic "bazooka" and repeated warnings against blackmail, Europe has signaled an unusually firm willingness to risk a tit-for-tat economic confrontation over Greenland's sovereignty.

Since returning to the Oval Office in 2025, Trump has repeatedly voiced a desire to "obtain" Greenland and has recently ramped up his threat. In a social media post on Saturday, he said the United States would levy a 10-percent tariff from Feb. 1 on goods from the eight targeted countries. He warned the rate would rise to 25 percent on June 1 and remain in place until a deal is reached for the "complete and total purchase" of Greenland.